Myrsine grantii Fosberg & Sachet

Myrsine grantii Fosberg & Sachet var. grantii

Glabrous shrub or small tree 3–6 m tall; cataphylls caducous, oblong to somewhat obovate, obtuse, 4–13 mm long; leaves coriaceous or sub-coriaceous, broadly obovate to broadly oblong or elliptic, blades 4–13 cm × 3–6 cm, apex obtuse to rounded, base acute to obtuse, obscurely punctate beneath, more obscurely so above, veins moderately prominent above, less so beneath, somewhat irregular, 1.5–10 mm apart, depending on size of leaf, anastomosing near margin, merging there into obscure secondary network but not forming a distinct marginal vein, margin slightly revolute, petiole 3–4 mm wide, 3–6 mm long (rarely, in no. 1789, leaves subsessile); flowers subsessile in few-flowered clusters, subtended by scale-like bracts, tetramerous; calyx 1.3–1.5 mm long, lobes ovate, about 1 mm long, acute to obtuse, usually with a large central dark spot or several dark lines; corolla lobes spreading, broadly elliptic or obovate, obtuse or rounded at apex, somewhat narrowed at base, notably black-punctate, margins irregularly papillate, 1.5–2 mm long, tube 1 mm long; anthers about 1 mm long, curved, narrowly triangular sagittate, apex blunt, papillate; lower lobes rounded at bases; pistillode somewhat ovoid, somewhat over 1 mm long, stigma crown-like, spreading, irregularly undulately lobed; pistillate flowers not available; fruits globose or subglobose, about 5–7 mm diameter, black marked, subtended by spreading persistent calyx, crowned by scar of caducous stigma.

SPECIMENS SEEN.—Uahuka I.: s.l., Whitney Expedition 1837 (BISH), 1789 (BISH).

Hivaoa I.: Tenatinaei, 3620 ft [1100 m], PES (M & A) 492 (BISH, type, NY (as A&M)); Kopaafaa, 2800 ft [800–900 m], PES (M & A) HO 1008 (BISH, NY (as A&M)); Atuona-Feani trail, ridge crest, 1200–1300 m, Sachet & Decker 1180 (US, P, UH, Fo). Fatuiva I.: Omoa, 700 m, Brown 915 (BISH). Brown cited his 915 and Mumford & Adamson 492 under his Rapanea myricifolia form marquesensis.

ETHNOBOTANY.—F. Brown cites tiki as the name on Fatuiva, presumably of his 915 collection. There is no other record of this name.

Myrsine grantii Fosberg & Sachet var. grantii

Frutex vel arbor parva, foliis obovatis vel vix ellipticis vix venulosis coriaceis vel subcoriaceis, petiolis 3–4 mm latis 3–6 mm longisque.

Glabrous shrub or small tree 3–6 m tall; cataphylls caducous, oblong to somewhat obovate, obtuse, 4–13 mm long; leaves coriaceous or subcoriaceous, broadly obovate to broadly oblong or elliptic, blades 4–13 cm × 3–6 cm, apex obtuse to rounded, base acute to obtuse, obscurely punctate beneath, more obscurely so above, veins moderately prominent above, less so beneath, somewhat irregular, 1.5–10 mm apart, depending on size of leaf, anastomosing near margin, merging there into obscure secondary network but not forming a distinct marginal vein, margin slightly revolute, petiole 3–4 mm wide, 3–6 mm long (rarely, in no. 1789, leaves subsessile); flowers subsessile in few-flowered clusters, subtended by scale-like bracts, tetramerous; calyx 1.3–1.5 mm long, lobes ovate, about 1 mm long, acute to obtuse, usually with a large central dark spot or several dark lines; corolla lobes spreading, broadly elliptic or obovate, obtuse or rounded at apex, somewhat narrowed at base, notably black-punctate, margins irregularly papillate, 1.5–2 mm long, tube 1 mm long; anthers about 1 mm long, curved, narrowly triangular sagittate, apex blunt, papillate; lower lobes rounded at bases; pistillode somewhat ovoid, somewhat over 1 mm long, stigma crownlike, spreading, irregularly undulately lobed; pistillate flowers not available; fruits globose or subglobose, about 5–7 mm diameter, black marked, subtended by spreading persistent calyx, crowned by scar of caducous stigma.

SPECIMENS SEEN.—Marquesas Islands: Uahuka I.: s.l., Whitney Expedition 1837 (BISH), 1789 (BISH). Hiva’oa I.: Tenatinaei, 3620 ft [1100 m], Mumford & Adamson 492 (BISH, type, NY) (NY sheet as Adamson & Mumford); Kopaafaa, 2800 ft [850 m], Mumford & Adamson HO 1008 (BISH, NY) (NY sheet as Adamson & Mumford); Atuona-Feani trail, ridge crest, 1200–1300 m, Sachet & Decker 1180 (US, P, UH, Fo). Fatuhiva I.: Omoa, 700 m, Brown 915 (BISH). Brown 915 has leaves narrower than usual, veins more distinct, petioles rather slender.

Myrsine grantii Fosberg & Sachet

Myrsine grantii Fosberg & Sachet, Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 21:7, 1975.

Shrub or small tree, glabrous; leaves chartaceous to coriaceous, small to moderate sized, elliptic or obovate, veins not prominent; flowers subsessile in scaly-bracteate clusters of 3–5 (−7), bracts, calyxlobes and corolla-lobes glandular-ciliolate; anthers sagittate, apex blunt, papillate, stigma coronaform, irregularly lobed; fruit globose or subglobose, 5–7 mm long.

Myrsine grantii Fosberg & Sachet

Frutex vel arbor parva, foliis chartaceis vel coriaceis maxime 13.5 cm longis 6 cm latisque ellipticis vel oblongis non valde venulosis; floribus subsessilibus in fasciculis paucifloris squamosis, antheris sagittatis apicibus muticis papillatis; stigmatibus coroniformibus lobatis; fructibus globosis vel subglobosis 5–7 mm longis.

Shrub or small tree, glabrous; leaves chartaceous to coriaceous, small to moderate sized, elliptic or obovate, veins not prominent; flowers subsessile in scaly-bracteate clusters of 3–5 (−7), bracts, calyx-lobes and corolla-lobes glandular-ciliolate; anthers sagittate, apex blunt, papillate, stigma corona-form, irregularly lobed; fruit globose or subglobose, 5–7 mm long.

This new species is notable for its short, thick petioles, firm medium-sized punctate leaves, subsessile flowers in small scaly-bracteate fascicles, the bracts, calyx and corolla glandular-ciliolate; fruit 5–7 mm long. It is dedicated to the late Dr. Martin L. Grant, long-time worker on the Polynesian flora, who had indicated it in the herbarium as a new species.

Two varieties may be distinguished. These we first described as separate species, hence they are described rather fully.